CVE-2017-8295: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-xr65-2gpf-fj8v
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CVSS 5.9
CWE-640
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2017-8295 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.9) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product contains a mechanism for users to recover or change their passwords without knowing the original password, but the mechanism is weak.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2017-8295 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2017-8295
GHSA Identifier GHSA-xr65-2gpf-fj8v
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.9
CWE Classification CWE-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.9

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2017-8295

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2017-8295, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password, where the product contains a mechanism for users to recover or change their passwords without knowing the original password, but the mechanism is weak. In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

WordPress through 4.7.4 relies on the Host HTTP header for a password-reset e-mail message, which makes it easier for remote attackers to reset arbitrary passwords by making a crafted wp-login.php?action=lostpassword request and then arranging for this message to bounce or be resent, leading to transmission of the reset key to a mailbox on an attacker-controlled SMTP server. This is related to problematic use of the SERVER_NAME variable in wp-includes/pluggable.php in conjunction with the PHP mail function. Exploitation is not achievable in all cases because it requires at least one of the following: (1) the attacker can prevent the victim from receiving any e-mail messages for an extended period of time (such as 5 days), (2) the victim's e-mail system sends an autoresponse containing the original message, or (3) the victim manually composes a reply containing the original message.

References

NVD — CVE-2017-8295 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-8295
exploitbox.io/vuln/wordpress-expl... WEB
https://exploitbox.io/vuln/WordPress-Exploit-4-7-Unauth-Password-Reset-0day-CVE-2017-8295.html
wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/880... WEB
https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/8807
www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41963 WEB
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41963
Software Security Information SECURITY
http://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3870
Software Security Information SECURITY
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/98295
Software Security Information SECURITY
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038403

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-8295?
CVE-2017-8295 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2017-8295?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-8295?
CVE-2017-8295 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.9 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2017-8295?
CVE-2017-8295 is classified under CWE-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password (The product contains a mechanism for users to recover or change their passwords without knowing the original password, but the mechanism is weak.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2017-8295?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
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  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-xr65-2gpf-fj8v",
  "modified" : "2025-04-20T03:37:13Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-17T00:26:36Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2017-8295" ],
  "details" : "WordPress through 4.7.4 relies on the Host HTTP header for a password-reset e-mail message, which makes it easier for remote attackers to reset arbitrary passwords by making a crafted wp-login.php?action=lostpassword request and then arranging for this message to bounce or be resent, leading to transmission of the reset key to a mailbox on an attacker-controlled SMTP server. This is related to problematic use of the SERVER_NAME variable in wp-includes/pluggable.php in conjunction with the PHP mail function. Exploitation is not achievable in all cases because it requires at least one of the following: (1) the attacker can prevent the victim from receiving any e-mail messages for an extended period of time (such as 5 days), (2) the victim's e-mail system sends an autoresponse containing the original message, or (3) the victim manually composes a reply containing the original message.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-8295"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://exploitbox.io/vuln/WordPress-Exploit-4-7-Unauth-Password-Reset-0day-CVE-2017-8295.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/8807"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41963"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3870"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/98295"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1038403"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
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    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
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    "nvd_published_at" : "2017-05-04T14:29:00Z"
  }
}